The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Ingrid van Dijk . Photo

Ingrid van Dijk

Associate senior lecturer

Ingrid van Dijk . Photo

Early-life mortality clustering in families: A literature review

Author

  • Ingrid van Dijk

Summary, in English

Research on early-life mortality in contemporary and historical populations has shown that infant and child mortality tend to cluster in a limited number of high-mortality families, a phenomenon known as ‘mortality clustering’. This paper is the first to review the literature on the role of the family in early-life mortality. Contemporary results, methodological and theoretical shortfalls, recent developments, and opportunities for future research are all discussed in this review. Four methodological approaches are distinguished: those based on sibling deaths, mother heterogeneity, thresholds, and excess deaths in populations. It has become clear from research to date that the death of an older child harms the survival chances of younger children in that family, and that fertility behaviour, earlier stillbirths, remarriages, and socio-economic status all explain mortality clustering to some extent.

Publishing year

2019

Language

English

Pages

79-99

Publication/Series

Population Studies

Volume

73

Issue

1

Document type

Journal article review

Publisher

Routledge

Topic

  • Economic History
  • Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1477-4747